Fruit-display rack



Apr-i115, 1930. A. J. GEARi'Ts 1,754,998

FRUIT DISPLAY RACK Filed April 17, 1929 53' q mnml all Patented Apr. 15, 1930 ATENT OFFICE ALBERT J. GEARTTS, F ESGANABA, MICHIGAN FBUIT-IDIS PLAY RACK Application filed Aprfl 17,

1 will be readily viewable by the customers.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel device of this kind which may for the most part be constructed of metal pipe or tubing.

The invention also resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts and in modes of operation, which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art w 3 upon reference to the following descriptive matter in connection with the accompanying drawing, disclosing what is now believed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood, however,'that the invention is capable of considerable change and modification within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed hereinafter.

In the drawing, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts in all views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a display stand constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a detail cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, but showing the ring 16 in cross-section;

Figure 4.- is a cross-section through the i standard and showing the securing means therefor,--the view being taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the upper vegetable supporting tray sections; and

1929. Serial 1%. 355,791.

or standard sections of which four are disclosed in the drawing. The upper ends of these sections 5 are bent laterally and reverted slightly, as indicated at 5". Adjacent their lower ends the standard or pipe sections 5 are bent laterally as at 5? and then vertically as indicated at 5, to provide a relatively wide base. The portions 5" of the pipe sections 5 diverge laterally and downwardly as clearly illustrated in Figure 1. The lower ends of the pipe sections 5 provide the supporting base for the stand, which will be of considerable height, as suggested in Figure 1. The ends of the pipe sections 5,- that is to say the ends 5, receive castor bearings 14, which are preferably of the ball type, although they may be of any preferred or usual construction.

The standard sections 5 between the portions 5', 5 are bound tightly together through the instrumentality of bolts 6, of which there i are two sets, as indicated in Figure 1. One set is adjacent the upper outward bend 5 while the other set is adjacent the lower outward bend 5*. Each of the bolts 6 extends through two of the pipe sections 5 and between the other two. In this way a composite standard of very rigid and satisfactory construction of relatively thick cross-section may be conveniently provided. Yet, at the same time the stand is capable of being read ily demounted or knocked-down by removal of the bolts 6.

The laterally and downwardly bent upper ends of the sections 5, designated as at 5*, have semi-circular form and have a marginal upstanding flange or rim, as indicated. It will also be noted that each of the sections 9 has a central cutout 9". This cutout provides a recess for the reception of the bound together pipes forming the standard. Bolts 10 extending through the flanges 9 are provided with nuts whereby they may be tightened so as to draw the walls of the recesses 9" tightly against the standard. In this way the assembled fruit rack or support 9, 9, can be clamped at any desired point upon the standard, as occasion may require, and as will be perfectly obvious several or any number of the fruit supports or racks 9, 9 may be provided without a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth herein. It is not deemed necessary to illustrate more than one of these sectional fruit racks 9, 9.

In order to further brace and rigidify the lower portion of the stand, I provide tie rods 7, which as shown in Figure 1, are extended through the lower or feet portion 5 of the pipe sections 5. The rods 7 receive nuts 7*, and as clearly indicated each rod extends through the two diametrically opposite pipe or tube portions 5,the two rods crossing at a point vertically alined with the contiguous portions of the pipe sections 5 which comprise the standard.

The rods 7, however, have a further and very important function in that they support a sectional array of fruit or vegetable bins. These bins are each composed of a separate section of segmental form and include an outer flange or rim 11' from which extends inwardly the partition or wall portions 11*. which increase in height in the direction of the inner corner or apex. By this arrangement the sections 11 have a bin-like appearance and in addition to increasing the capacity of the sections 11 the rising partition (11") construction enables the contents of the sections 11 to be displayed much better than would otherwise be possible. The adjacent bins or sections 11 are secured together by means of bolts 13, as best illustrated in Figure 3, these bolts extending through contiguous partitions or wall portions 11". Preferably there are two bolts extending through each contiguous wall portion, as indicated, although, it is observed that the number of bolts 13 is relatively immaterial. Here in each instance one bolt 13 is located adjacent the outer arcual rim portion 11, while other bolts 13 are located near the apex or intersection of the wall portions 11". v

The use of the sectional array of bins 1] enables a display container of very great diameter to be provided. As will be obvious, the composite container made up of the sec tions 11 may be supported directly upon the brace rods 7. However, I prefer to provide brace bars 15 and a central annulus 16 carried by the rods 7, the upper edges of which members 15, 16 serve to support the bin sections 11. The brace bars 15 have laterally bent apertured end portions 15 which receive the ends of rods 7, shoulders of said rods 7 forcing the bars 15 against the inner surfaces of pipe sections 5. The annulus 16, in addition to supporting the apices of sections 11, also serves to rigidify and tie together the rods 7 at the central crossing point thereof beneath the composite standard 5, 5, 5, 5.

It is very important to observe in connection with the bin construction that the standard portions 5 engage the assembly of bin sections 11 to prevent lateral. shifting of the same and furthermore by reason of the sectional arrangement it is possible to provide a circular array of bins which will have the greatest 0r largest possible diameter. In other words. if the array of bins were in one piece the diameter thereof would necessarily be small in order to get in between adjacent standard sections 5. The stand may be moved from place to place very conveniently inasmuch as it is quite light.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described comprising a standard having divergent basedefining legs, brace means connecting said legs, and a sectional display receptacle adapted to be assembled upon said brace means, within the confines of said array of legs, means for holding said receptacle assembled, and the width of said receptacle being such that the same cannot b removed when assembled, said legs engaging same to prevent shifting.

2. In a fruit stand or the like, a standard comprising a plurality of elongated sections, said sections diverging at one end to provide a base, and sectional article display means comprising complementary sections having a recess to receive said standard sections, means for clamping the sections of said article display means together whereby to hold the intermediate portions of said standard sect-ions contiguous, a sectional array of display bins, means for holding said bins assembled, and supporting means for said display bins cal.- ried by the divergent base defining portions of said stand.

3. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of pipe sections having divergent lower portions adapted to provide a supporting base of considerable width, means for clamping the intermediate portions of said pipe sections together to provide a standard, crossed tie rods connecting opposed ones of. said divergent base-defining pipe portions, a plurality of separate article display sections adapted to be disposed beneath the conti uous portions of said pipe sections defining said standard, and within the confines of said divergent base-defining pipe portions, means, for holding said article display sections assembled, supporting means for said article display sections carried by said tie rods, and the cross sectional dimension of said composite array of article display members being greater than the distance between any two of said divergent basedefining pipe sections whereby the latter hold the assembled article display sections in place. 7

4. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of pipe sections having divergent lower portions adapted to provide a supporting base of considerable width, the upper ends of said pipe sections being bent laterally to provide hanger supports, hook members carried by the outer ends of said laterally bent portions, means for clamping the intermediate portions of said pipe sections together to provide a standard, an article display tray comprising complementary sections having opposed recesses, means for clamping said tray sections about said standard whereby to clamp said tray in a predetermined position on said standard, the tray serving to assist in holding said pipe sections assembled, brace rods connecting diametrically opposite ones of the divergent basedefining portions of said pipe sections, an annulus disposed beneath the contiguous portion of said pipes which define said standard and through which annulus said brace rods extend, brace bars having apertured ends through which saidbrace rods extend, said brace rods having shoulders adjacent their ends bearing against said brace bars whereby to force the same against the adjacent divergent base-defining pipe sections, nuts on said brace rods for holding the parts assembled, a plurality of article display bins comprising segmental sections and adapted to be supported upon said brace rods and central annulus, and means for securing said bin sections together.

5. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of elongated standard sections having divergent lower portions adapted to provide a base of considerable width, means for clamping the intermediate portions of said standard sections together to provide a composite sectional standard, crossed tie rods connecting opposed ones of said divergent base-defining portions, an endless frame connecting the intermediate portions of said tie rods and providing an inner article supporting frame, and brace members carried by said tie rods and connecting adjacent ones of said legs to provide an outer supporting frame.

6. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of elongated standard sections having divergent lower portions adapted to provide a base of considerable width, means for clamping the intermediate portions of said standard sections together to provide a composite sectional standard, crossed tie rods connecting opposed ones of said divergent base-defining portions, an endless frame connecting the intermediate portions of said tie rods and providing an inner article supporting frame, brace members carried by said tie rods and connecting adjacent ones of said legs to provide an outer supporting frame, a sectional article display member supported upon the aforesaid frames beneath said sectional standard, means for securing the parts of said display member assembled within the confines of said divergent base-defining standard portions, and the lateral dimensions of said display member being substantially equal to the corresponding dimensions of thespace confined by said standard base portions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa ture.

ALBERT J. GEARTTS. 

